Stella Artois

About the beer

Source: Inbev, Leuven, Belgium
Style: Lager
Strength: 5.0% ABV
Colour: Golden

Tasting at The United (apart from the numerous times in numerous
                       bars at numerous occasions)
Rating (out of 10): 7.5

Notes:

I did have to check through my past items to see whether I have already included Stella Artois in my beer drinking journal.  It's surprising when nothing could be found actually.

The beer is popular here in the city, and there is nothing wrong with being popular.  It has an appeal of being "higher-class", and there is also nothing wrong with that, together with all its advertising efforts including advertisment (always seeing a handsome, well-dressed, male European, allured by this golden and perfectly poured glass of Stella Artois), logo (anno 1366), branded glass (stemed), slogan (She is a thing of beauty).  Everything fit together to create an image of prestige and "European" (so the word "Imported" is emphasised, spelt out and printed near the bottle-neck, although most of the bottled-beer brands we drink nowadays are imported).  It gives you a good feeling in drinking it.

On actual drinking experiences, it varies a lot.  It could be rather pale and taste-less, if the pub treated the draft beer too coldly (which is quite normal in HK).  It could contain too much gas (I don't know why) some times, and not very friendly with your stomach.  It could be quite "ordinary" in quite many times that you do not recognise which beer you are drinking if you do not look at the glass.

Anyway, I had quite a walk in the morning, and this glass of Stells Artois gave me some refreshing feeling (and together with a glass of sparkling water, answered my thirsty quest), and it worths 7.5 points.

Black Cab Stout

About the Beer

Source: Griffin Brewery, Chiswick, England (Fuller, Smith and Turner PLC)
Style: Stout
Strength: 4.5%ABV
Colour: Black (as a London Black Cab)

Tasting: at The United
Rating (out of 10): 9

Notes:

I don't know what other experts would say, my utmost (or maybe only) criteria in assessing a beer is whether it is delicious.  I cannot find any other reason to enjoy a beer, (it is much easier to getting drunk if you drink whisky, vodka or gin; and "show" your "taste" by having a glass of wine).  And my first-time drinking of this Fuller's Black Cab Stout fits very much what I demand of beer drinking - it is very delicious, from the first mouthful to the very last.

The beer books told a lot about the "invention" of this style of beer in London and was so loved by the working class people (i.e. the porters), from there the name came.  And the stronger version of porter was called stout.  Nowadays, when you speak of Stout, it almost automatically means Guinness.

It is true that Guinness is good, when you drink it on tap at a bar (but not bottled or canned).  Much better than other brews, such as Murphy.  But I think this Black Cab Stout is more delicious than Guinness, in ways of its deliciousness, easy-going character, and dry finish.

Black Cab Stout is so delicious that it gives you a taste of sweetness in your first mouthful of it.  More accurately, it should be called bitter-sweetness, but actually more sweet than bitter.  This may be described as "biscuit-like" or "malty" in those book, but anyway I prefer sweetness.  Furthermore after the first taste of sweetness, it gives you dryness in its aftertaste.  Such a perfect combination.

A really satisfying experience.

This is what introduced in the Fuller's website:

Black Cab Stout

Brewed with a combination of five different malts, some heavily roasted for a near jet black appearance, Black Cab Stout is 4.2% ABV and beneath its dark exterior features luxurious red berry notes, toasty aromas on the nose and culminates in a dry, bitter finish.